DISCOVERING THE THIRD DIMENSION

Osama Manzar talks to the woman who is the first to transform script into sculpture.
She does not know much about various eminent artists. She does not even know who is new in art and what is latest in the world of aesthetics. She knows only Islam, Muhammad and the ethics of being a Muslim. And, her favourite topic of discussion is the plight of Kashmir, the apathy of Islamic art, both bordering on nothing less than idealism.
But, 24-year-old Sahil Mir, has the credit of discovering the third dimension in Islamic calligraphy. Sahil is the first to have picked up calligraphy from the walls of drawing rooms and art galleries — to sculpt it and keep it in transparent glass boxes.
Islamic calligraphy which had originated in Rome and had reached unbelievable heights of fame in the Moghul period, could not be moulded into sculpture even by Michealangelos. So far, the highest kind of modification that has ever taken place in Islamic calligraph is the ‘relief work’. Sahil too . first started with relief work. “I too, had started with relief work, which is considered to be a shadow making-two dimensional work in calligraphy”, says Sahil. While ‘relief is basically carving the stone or walls the sculpture is a work in the air only with the help of maquette. If relief work is supposed to be a propositionally weak work, according to Ghufran Kidwal, the guide of Sahil Mir, sculpture, especially in Islamic calligraphy is considered to be highly skilled, mechanically sound, propositionally strong and aesthetically an admirable work of nit But how did the third dimension came to this Kashmiri artists mind. “From the very beginning, I liked to be different and have always tried to develop something which is not monotonous”, says Sahil. “In fact, no one has done anything on Islamic sculpture in terms of 3-D, - whereas, human figures have been the subject of artists, from ancient times. I changed my subject and concentrated on working out the third dimension in calligraphy, after a fruitful discussion with my guide, when I. joined Master of Fine Arts course in Jamia Millia Islamia.”
Says Kidwal, “She is the first who has used the sculpture form of calligraphy, whereas, everyone else has used its written form. I was impressed with her innovathreness.” However, Sahil and her skill is suffering due to lack of finances. The department does not provide a penny to its students and Sahil is not wealthy enough to organise the raw material required for waxing, maquetting and sculptures. Now, when she has already completed 20 sculptures, she is planning to work on metal, which is undoubtedly a costly affair. A scholarship of Rs 500 per month from the ‘Institute of Objective Studies’, is not enough to meet such a costly demand. Says Kidwai, “She has only one problem, that of finances. I wish she would get some aid to help her concentrate further on her work.”
But for all of Sahil’s problems, she hasn’t lost faith — neither in her skill nor her God. “lnshaallah! I will exhibit my work late this year”, she is extremely hopeful. “I have immense faith in Allah.”
All of Sahil’s sculptures are based on words of Quranic verses and on the name of prophets. Like Muhammad, Au, Taha, Belal, Allah etc. She has made at least 10 sculptures only on Muhammad. “I love my prophet”, expressed & ahil. So far, she has worked only on those terms which have to be kept in consideration—mass, volume, weight, area etc. “For that matter, for proper balancing with an addition of nuqta working on 3-D proposition is extremely difficult”, she elaborates. ‘Hasan’ is the first word having nuqta, on which Sahil is working. “It took two rigorous days to work out the nuqta in Hasan”, says Sahil.
“Islamic sculpture is basically an art of lines. The lines should be very sharp and prominent. Unlike Hindu art, Islamic art is extremely complex”, she clarifies further.
However, Mir’s grievance is the absence of Islamic art in famous galleries, both nationally and internationally. “My desire is too see my art, in particular and Islamic art in general, In every national and international level gallery. But I don’t have any ambition to become famous”, she says hastily. Adds Kldwai, “I don’t know whether the world of art will recognise her calibre and art, but I am quite satisfied with her work and her devotion.”
Meanwhile, Sahil Mir’s next thrust is metal cast sculpture but “I will not stop the cement work. Art is not sold on the basis of its material, it is the artist’s mind that matters”. She couldn’t be more right.